That timeframe, if correct, takes us into early June. That's almost a year on from 2007's announcement of iPhone availability, which took place on 11 June. The Apple handset went on sale a few weeks later.

Given T-Mobile's recent move to subsidise the purchase price of the 8GB iPhone in Germany - an interesting move that could vastly expand demand for the handset by removing the most widely cited barrier to adoption: the handset's price relative to other smartphones - and claims that Apple and its partners are clearing out stocks of the current version of the phone, the June timeframe seems a distinct possibility.

Mossberg's statement, made at a Beet.tv conference, perhaps carries more weight than most claims because of the fellow's status as one of the most courted journos out there. There can be few technology manufacturers who wouldn't jump at the chance to get a write-up in as widely-read business title as the WSJ. Consequently, Mossberg gets a early heads-up on most upcoming products, and Apple's no exception in giving the guy kit to play with ahead of general availability.